Kashmir affairs demand rising above political gamesmanship
Daya Sagar Sharma
September 19, 2009
• No doubt Sheikh Sheikh Abdullah had his own concepts and ambitions that could be read in his Quit Kashmir movement of 1946, but Sheikh Abdullah stood for accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India
The impressions that the world is today gathering from the statements being made by the separatist leaders, the way New Delhi is falling flat before the anti accession elements and the disgraceful blot of non return of Kashmiri Hindu migrants are that people of Kashmir are not in favour of the 1947 accession. .
Valley needs "soul" and not only bricks and cement.
Kashmiri Migrants have prayed in 2009 that relief package for them should not be linked with their return to valley.
Sheikh Abdullah stood for accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India. No doubt Sheikh Sheikh Abdullah had his own concepts and ambitions that could be read in his Quit Kashmir movement of 1946.It is a hard reality that it was Congress leadership { Jawahar Lal Nehru in particular } at New Delhi that had made the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah to grow so tall . Later it was same Nehru´s Congress that found Sheikh not easy to control. Now in 2009 even after 19 years of 1989 migration of Kashmiri Hindu from Kashmir Valley, the way Congress is tolerating the separatists and those who advocate separatist like ideologies hints that Congress looks for competitors of National Conference to grow in Kashmir.
The impressions that the world is today gathering from the statements being made by the separatist leaders of Kashmir Valley , the way New Delhi is falling flat before the anti accession elements and the way it is sleeping over the disgraceful blot of non return of Kashmiri Hindu migrants are that people of "Kashmi"r are not in favour of the 1947 accession . This is very disappointing and painful for those who have so far carried firmly with Indian nationality. And ofcourse the Congress at New Delhi had also been tolerating all divergent views of CPM / CPI on Kashmir affairs simply for staying in power.
Farooq Abdullah has ofcourse always denounced all those who question the 1947 accession of J&K with India . Mufti Mohd Sayeed has to make attempts to score over National Conference. Attemps have been made to call one part of J&K as Indian Administered Kashmir and the other as Pakistan Administered Kashmir . This could be called a humble attempt to even question the 1948 Indian complaint in UNO to score over leaders like Farooq Abdullah..
PDP supporters have advocated that the use of both Indian and Pakistani currencies in J&K fits in well since sovereignty of J&K has been accepted in J&K having its own Constitution and its own flag. Such arguments are simply to misguide the innocent people of J&K .
Provisions that have provided J&K a Constitution do not provide J&K any choice to use currency other than Indian Currency in J&K. Mufti´s has even suggested that POK be called as Pakistan Administered J&K . It has also been argued that that dual currency ( only in JK not all Indian states / Pakistan states } use also fits in NC´s " Greater Autonomy" and the Delhi Agreement of 1952. Plea being used in support is that even Sheikh Abdullah had kept the issue of financial integration with India explicitly wide open. The argument does not stand technically to test.
Such like statement concerning the external affairs of India have not been questioned even by Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh when he was at Jammu on 25 April 2008. May be he did not rate it worth a job on priority. Even the Finance Minister of then Ghulam Nabi Azad government linked the use of dual currency with SAARC. Ghulam Nabi Azad did not denounce his Finance minister and hence PDP could use it as a no objection from Congress. . Such like arguments surely promote separatism in the minds of common Kashmiri .To opinion makers this way J&K appears to be separate "State". Are not such ideologies more damaging than the so called separatists like Geelani and Shabir Shah . Even some mainstream leaders have stayed intact after making anti India proposals in Public as well as on the foreign lands on the issues that fall only in purview of Government of India and not even in the purview of any State Government. Congress lead UPA government at New Delhi is so helpless. No doubt Congress has gone so weak at the national level that may be another decade of hard work and sacrifices would be needed to rebuild the party in major states like UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu , West Bengal , Gujrat . The regional parties have eroded the base of Congress even at all India level. The senior leaders of Congress are growing old and are hence some are even going restless. The way Congress Government is behaving in J&K clearly shows that Congress would like to see that competitors of National Conference grow in Kashmir Valley so that Congress could throw some challenge to National Conference..
The reason one could see behind Congress and other national parties falling so flat before the separatist elements in J&K , all these years, could be the tallness of Sheikh Abdullah {his National Conference }. Sheikh Abdullah had ofcourse pioneered the cause of Kashmir as a special segment of India . He had won the heart support of the locals and could challenge any national level party. So, to keep Sheikh and his National Conference weak some methods had to be used. The advisors to New Delhi on Kashmir affairs included a good number of Kashmiri Hindu also in the past. The most of the counsel that the Congress lead governments of the past at New Delhi received was suggesting for keeping the anti Sheikh / National Conference elements alive. Most of such leaders were those who challenged Sheikh´s support to 9 Accession with India. So called separatist leadership and pseudo separatist ideology has hence survived comfortably over the years in J&K. Those ruling the roost have been directly or indirectly providing them material and social support through their inaction..
The result has been that the common man of J&K ( Valley in particular ) gets fascinated when some suggests that the accession of J&K with India was some thing special as compared with other States of Greater India of British Empire. It was on 20 july2007 that in Batpora-Langet ( Handwara) a 14 year old school girl was murdered after gang rape. One time a member of J&K Legislature and now known as a pro Pakistan separatist leader of Kashmir Valley, Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani , asked the non state subject workers to leave Kashmir valley. Media quoted Jaish e Mohd spokesman Abu Kadam alleging that people are being sent to Valley from outside J&K under a conspiracy to inflict damages on Kashmiri culture and "present" movement ( surely he meant nothing else than separatist movement ) of Kashmiries. All J&K Joint Workers and Labour Union held a demonstration on 27-07-2007 in Lal Ckowk Srinagar demanding exit of out side labour who were reducing the job opportunities for local people. It was only on 28 July that Ghulan Nabi Azad did say in a function at Hundwara that Kashmiri leaders need understand that directives for turning out the non Kashmiri workers can also affect the fate of Kashmiri people working out side J&K . He also informed two local kashmiries were also involved in the rape and killing of July 2007 . But he too did not order action against such separatist leaders. Ghulam Nabi Azad , National Conference as well as PDP leaders did not call upon the fleeing non state subject labour to ignore the threats and stay back. Nor did they openly came out to boost the moral of fleeing labor. Hijb ul Mijahidin spokesman Junaid ul Islam was quoted having said that anger against the out side labour is growing since the outsiders have promoted crime , flesh trade as well as liqour in Kashmir. Hilal Ahmed Dar Chairman J&K Realistic Front, so far unknown group, was quoted { 3 August} by Navin Nawaj , having asked all Behari labour to leave Kashmir valley and warned even the state government of unhealthy consequences in case of default. After prayers at Bohri Kadal area Sayeed Ali Shah Jeelani sought confirmation from the namazees about the non Kashmiries to stay away from Kashmirr and return after verification at Lakhanpur. It was for the first time that ,after so many years of the migration of Kashmiri Pundits , so large a number of non State Subject Indian people appeared preparing for leaving Kashmir valley. Instead of condemning such calls for leaving Kashmir Valley some so called main stream leaders even alleged that social evils are growing in Kashmir due to the living styles of outsiders. Even CPM who claims to be saviour of labour class did not condemn the anti India forces. So weak appear the pro India political parties and other social leaders that they begged " Kashmiri people" to reconsider the anti non state subject labour directives .They pleaded that many of such labour are Muslims . It appeared that for such pro India leaders such fermaans / directives would have been in order had the majority of the outside labour been non muslim ?
Kashmiri Migrants have prayed in 2009 that relief package for them should not be linked with their return to valley. This is enough to demonstrate that return of Kashmiri migrants to Kashmir Valley appears a distant dream for GOI / J&K Government .No one dares to condemn and isolate the separatists as well their over ground supporters, is a question ? Those from the ruling parties still see solution in press releases, laying foundation stones, announcing money spending schemes . Valley needs "soul" and not only bricks and cement.
( *Daya Sagar is a social activists and senior scribe on J&K Affairs dayasagr at yahoo.co.uk)
The impressions that the world is today gathering from the statements being made by the separatist leaders, the way New Delhi is falling flat before the anti accession elements and the disgraceful blot of non return of Kashmiri Hindu migrants are that people of Kashmir are not in favour of the 1947 accession. .
Valley needs "soul" and not only bricks and cement.
Kashmiri Migrants have prayed in 2009 that relief package for them should not be linked with their return to valley.
Sheikh Abdullah stood for accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India. No doubt Sheikh Sheikh Abdullah had his own concepts and ambitions that could be read in his Quit Kashmir movement of 1946.It is a hard reality that it was Congress leadership { Jawahar Lal Nehru in particular } at New Delhi that had made the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah to grow so tall . Later it was same Nehru´s Congress that found Sheikh not easy to control. Now in 2009 even after 19 years of 1989 migration of Kashmiri Hindu from Kashmir Valley, the way Congress is tolerating the separatists and those who advocate separatist like ideologies hints that Congress looks for competitors of National Conference to grow in Kashmir.
The impressions that the world is today gathering from the statements being made by the separatist leaders of Kashmir Valley , the way New Delhi is falling flat before the anti accession elements and the way it is sleeping over the disgraceful blot of non return of Kashmiri Hindu migrants are that people of "Kashmi"r are not in favour of the 1947 accession . This is very disappointing and painful for those who have so far carried firmly with Indian nationality. And ofcourse the Congress at New Delhi had also been tolerating all divergent views of CPM / CPI on Kashmir affairs simply for staying in power.
Farooq Abdullah has ofcourse always denounced all those who question the 1947 accession of J&K with India . Mufti Mohd Sayeed has to make attempts to score over National Conference. Attemps have been made to call one part of J&K as Indian Administered Kashmir and the other as Pakistan Administered Kashmir . This could be called a humble attempt to even question the 1948 Indian complaint in UNO to score over leaders like Farooq Abdullah..
PDP supporters have advocated that the use of both Indian and Pakistani currencies in J&K fits in well since sovereignty of J&K has been accepted in J&K having its own Constitution and its own flag. Such arguments are simply to misguide the innocent people of J&K .
Provisions that have provided J&K a Constitution do not provide J&K any choice to use currency other than Indian Currency in J&K. Mufti´s has even suggested that POK be called as Pakistan Administered J&K . It has also been argued that that dual currency ( only in JK not all Indian states / Pakistan states } use also fits in NC´s " Greater Autonomy" and the Delhi Agreement of 1952. Plea being used in support is that even Sheikh Abdullah had kept the issue of financial integration with India explicitly wide open. The argument does not stand technically to test.
Such like statement concerning the external affairs of India have not been questioned even by Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh when he was at Jammu on 25 April 2008. May be he did not rate it worth a job on priority. Even the Finance Minister of then Ghulam Nabi Azad government linked the use of dual currency with SAARC. Ghulam Nabi Azad did not denounce his Finance minister and hence PDP could use it as a no objection from Congress. . Such like arguments surely promote separatism in the minds of common Kashmiri .To opinion makers this way J&K appears to be separate "State". Are not such ideologies more damaging than the so called separatists like Geelani and Shabir Shah . Even some mainstream leaders have stayed intact after making anti India proposals in Public as well as on the foreign lands on the issues that fall only in purview of Government of India and not even in the purview of any State Government. Congress lead UPA government at New Delhi is so helpless. No doubt Congress has gone so weak at the national level that may be another decade of hard work and sacrifices would be needed to rebuild the party in major states like UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu , West Bengal , Gujrat . The regional parties have eroded the base of Congress even at all India level. The senior leaders of Congress are growing old and are hence some are even going restless. The way Congress Government is behaving in J&K clearly shows that Congress would like to see that competitors of National Conference grow in Kashmir Valley so that Congress could throw some challenge to National Conference..
The reason one could see behind Congress and other national parties falling so flat before the separatist elements in J&K , all these years, could be the tallness of Sheikh Abdullah {his National Conference }. Sheikh Abdullah had ofcourse pioneered the cause of Kashmir as a special segment of India . He had won the heart support of the locals and could challenge any national level party. So, to keep Sheikh and his National Conference weak some methods had to be used. The advisors to New Delhi on Kashmir affairs included a good number of Kashmiri Hindu also in the past. The most of the counsel that the Congress lead governments of the past at New Delhi received was suggesting for keeping the anti Sheikh / National Conference elements alive. Most of such leaders were those who challenged Sheikh´s support to 9 Accession with India. So called separatist leadership and pseudo separatist ideology has hence survived comfortably over the years in J&K. Those ruling the roost have been directly or indirectly providing them material and social support through their inaction..
The result has been that the common man of J&K ( Valley in particular ) gets fascinated when some suggests that the accession of J&K with India was some thing special as compared with other States of Greater India of British Empire. It was on 20 july2007 that in Batpora-Langet ( Handwara) a 14 year old school girl was murdered after gang rape. One time a member of J&K Legislature and now known as a pro Pakistan separatist leader of Kashmir Valley, Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani , asked the non state subject workers to leave Kashmir valley. Media quoted Jaish e Mohd spokesman Abu Kadam alleging that people are being sent to Valley from outside J&K under a conspiracy to inflict damages on Kashmiri culture and "present" movement ( surely he meant nothing else than separatist movement ) of Kashmiries. All J&K Joint Workers and Labour Union held a demonstration on 27-07-2007 in Lal Ckowk Srinagar demanding exit of out side labour who were reducing the job opportunities for local people. It was only on 28 July that Ghulan Nabi Azad did say in a function at Hundwara that Kashmiri leaders need understand that directives for turning out the non Kashmiri workers can also affect the fate of Kashmiri people working out side J&K . He also informed two local kashmiries were also involved in the rape and killing of July 2007 . But he too did not order action against such separatist leaders. Ghulam Nabi Azad , National Conference as well as PDP leaders did not call upon the fleeing non state subject labour to ignore the threats and stay back. Nor did they openly came out to boost the moral of fleeing labor. Hijb ul Mijahidin spokesman Junaid ul Islam was quoted having said that anger against the out side labour is growing since the outsiders have promoted crime , flesh trade as well as liqour in Kashmir. Hilal Ahmed Dar Chairman J&K Realistic Front, so far unknown group, was quoted { 3 August} by Navin Nawaj , having asked all Behari labour to leave Kashmir valley and warned even the state government of unhealthy consequences in case of default. After prayers at Bohri Kadal area Sayeed Ali Shah Jeelani sought confirmation from the namazees about the non Kashmiries to stay away from Kashmirr and return after verification at Lakhanpur. It was for the first time that ,after so many years of the migration of Kashmiri Pundits , so large a number of non State Subject Indian people appeared preparing for leaving Kashmir valley. Instead of condemning such calls for leaving Kashmir Valley some so called main stream leaders even alleged that social evils are growing in Kashmir due to the living styles of outsiders. Even CPM who claims to be saviour of labour class did not condemn the anti India forces. So weak appear the pro India political parties and other social leaders that they begged " Kashmiri people" to reconsider the anti non state subject labour directives .They pleaded that many of such labour are Muslims . It appeared that for such pro India leaders such fermaans / directives would have been in order had the majority of the outside labour been non muslim ?
Kashmiri Migrants have prayed in 2009 that relief package for them should not be linked with their return to valley. This is enough to demonstrate that return of Kashmiri migrants to Kashmir Valley appears a distant dream for GOI / J&K Government .No one dares to condemn and isolate the separatists as well their over ground supporters, is a question ? Those from the ruling parties still see solution in press releases, laying foundation stones, announcing money spending schemes . Valley needs "soul" and not only bricks and cement.
( *Daya Sagar is a social activists and senior scribe on J&K Affairs dayasagr at yahoo.co.uk)
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